Social Constructions of Race
Race remains one of the most controversial topics in the world since it can be attributed to the numerous battles of supremacy that have been experienced throughout the existence of both the ancient and the modern world (Gannon 1). Despite the controversy associated with whereby individual races feel that they are superiors compared to others as experienced through the imperialism era, various research studies that have been conducted to establish the concept of race indicate that race is not biological (Gannon 1). Biological research has proven that there is no cluster of the gene or any gene that is unique to any of the races that are in existence (Blacks, Whites, Asians, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, Native Hawaiian Alaska Natives, or African Americans). If the biological tests that had been conducted to establish the concept of races then would have come up with distinct differences across races, the concept of race would have been valid as most people presume (Gannon 2). To provide a distinct understanding of why race is a social construction, this research paper will look into the concept of race in Brazil (Latin America) and the United States.
While most people associate the United States and the European with the institutionalization of racism, little consideration has been given to establish the role other countries have played in spreading the social construction of race. Brazil has been continuously pointed out as the epitome of racism in Central American (Trepagnier 26). The social construction of racism in Brazil can be traced back to as recently as the late 1800s to have still embodied slavery. While most countries had started the abolishment of slavery in the mid-1800s, Brazil was among the last countries to abolish slavery within the Western Hemisphere. This is even though Brazil is primarily comprised of mixed races, also known as the mulatto population and blacks (Trepagnier 27). The severity of slavery in Brazil can also be attributed to the fact that within the 300 years of slavery across the world, Brazil has been identified to be among the leading importers of slaves in the Americas. The extent of slavery in Brazil was manifested in the fact that it imported more than quadruple the number of slaves the United States would import. Even though Brazil currently considers itself as a “racial democracy” given the high population of the mixed population, race remains a significant issue among Brazilians (Trepagnier 28). According to recent research that was conducted to establish the prevalence of racism in Brazil, it was confirmed that most Brazilians still think race significantly affects their life. The challenge in racism is manifested in the fact that a significant percentage of Brazilians believe that race not only affects their quality of life but also, how they are treated at work, and the criminal justice system (Trepagnier 29).
Racism in the United States, just like Brazil, remains a critical issue. Even though racism in the United States was abolished more than 150 years ago following the implementation of the 15th Amendment, it is inevitable to note that the legacy of racism continues to exist (Wade 12). While Brazil considers itself the “home” of racial democracy, the United States considers itself as the land of opportunity and diversity. Even though the United States remains the most sought after destination by most racial minority immigrants, it continues to be among the countries where the legacy of racism lives on (Wade 14). For example, although racial minorities such as the black, African Americans, Latin Americans, and Hispanics comprise a significant percentage of the American population, they continue to be at the receiving end of racism (Wade 14).
An analysis of the United States criminal justice system offers adequate insight into the racial inequalities that exist in the country. While the United States holds the highest number of prisoners in the world, a significant percentage of the prison population is comprised of racial minorities (Wade 16). The very existence of a high rate of racial minorities illustrates the legacy of racism whereby racial minorities continue to be discriminated against. Racism is not only manifested in how the American system has been designed to treat racial minorities but also how these racial minorities treat each other (Wade 18). For example, it is inevitable to note the numerous disparities that exist between Hispanics, Latin Americans, blacks, and African Americans, irrespective of the fact that they all at the receiving end of racial inequality (Wade 20).
Despite the several research studies that have been conducted to establish the concept of racism, they have all concluded that racism is a social construction. This fact is reaffirmed through the assertion that despite the abolition of the different laws and policies that made racism possible, racism continues to exist in diverse parts of the world, not limited to Brazil and the United States due to the legacy of racism. The similarity in the legacy of racism can be linked to the legacy of imperialism whereby, despite having been abolished, they live on.
Work Cited
Gannon, Megan. “Race is a social construct, scientists argue.” Scientific American 5 (2016).
Trepagnier, Barbara. Silent racism: How well-meaning white people perpetuate the racial divide. Routledge, 2017.
Wade, Peter. “Racism and Race Mixture in Latin America.” Latin American Research Review 52.3 (2017).